


You're Good at Looking at Me like I'm See Through

by turdysevenirishmen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Tension, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, One-Sided Attraction, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Trauma, Unrequited Crush, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, seemingly, they'll work it out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:20:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25517182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turdysevenirishmen/pseuds/turdysevenirishmen
Summary: Harry's just trying to get through the school year. Enter hot, Irish transfer with a past, Niall Horan, who immediately has Harry falling. The whole school is vying for Niall's attention though, so it's best if Harry forgets about his feelings, right? The problem is, Marcel, Harry's twin, also starts crushing on Niall, even competing for his attention. And it looks like he might just be successful too...
Relationships: Eleanor Calder/Louis Tomlinson, Kendall Jenner/Harry Styles, Niall Horan/Harry Styles, Niall Horan/Marcel, Sean Cullen/Niall Horan
Comments: 14
Kudos: 29





	1. And You Stole My Heart, With Just One Look

**Author's Note:**

> Posted to Wattpad! Erm let's see, let's see...Oh, erm, I'm posting the anonymously here because, well, a Marcel fic (endgame narry though) in 2020. I'll claim the work if people like it. It's meant to be for fun, so please, don't be too harsh about errors or plotholes, that sort of thing. Of course, feedback is much appreciated, and if anybody has any ideas...I'm not opposed to fan service *wink*

"Shit! I'm so sorry!" It was the end of the day and Harry was exhausted. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and Marcel's loud page flipping hadn't helped things. He was taking advantage of the fact that the photography club wasn't meeting, so he could go home and nap. This wasn't what he needed.

"It's fine," whoever he'd bumped into said. They had a distinctly Irish accent. A really, really cute one. When Harry looked up, the first thing he was was a pair of bright blue eyes. The next thing he saw was a kind smile and adorable braces, all with he pinkest lips he'd ever seen. Taking in the rest of the boy, each feature was better than the last and Harry kept switching between favorites mentally until he settled on all of them combined.

"Hello! 'm Niall." Harry practically swooned at his voice, unable to form words. Harry continued looking at him as he collected both of their things off the floor. In the time Harry had spent staring at this, this angel in front of him, Niall had gotten everything. It wasn't until he'd passed Harry his stack of books, that Harry's trance broke. he felt an embarrassed heat rising in him as he gratefully accepted the textbooks from Niall's outstretched hands. More than a little flustered, Harry stammered out an excuse.

"I-I'm just like really tired. I got basically zero sleep last night, so now I'm barely functioning." Niall giggled with a hand over his mouth, big eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Same here. Was up all night with first day jitters and all that." So this was the transfer everyone was buzzing about. Harry definitely understood now.

"So you're from Ireland then?" Harry almost keeled over at the bright smile Niall gave him.

"How did you ever guess?" Niall said sarcastically, tone light and amused.

Harry's mouth went on autopilot and started producing sounds. "It was a complete shot in the dark. Lucky guess, I suppose." And that's how Harry discovered the gift that was Niall's laugh. It was an unrestrained, joyful thing that compelled Harry to join in. But not before he admired Niall's pale, freckled neck when he threw his head back.

The two shared a long giggle fit over nothing, before eventually calming down. Harry noticed the pretty flush to Niall's cheeks, and he felt his mouth go dry. Luckily, Niall saved them from the awkward silence sure to follow with Harry's brain short-circuiting and all.

"Listen, it was super nice meeting you, but I've got to go, or I'll be late for footie tryouts. We're not even close to the field are we?" Harry shoots his head no and Niall gave him a rueful smile. Harry was bummed at the fact that Niall had to go, but Niall's words more than made up for it.

"S'alright." And the confirmation that it was indeed okay was what Niall needed to spur him on. He was off, rushing down the hall in the opposite direction of where Harry was going. Harry watched him go until he took a turn farther down and was gone. Harry continued on his way to his car in a daze, more to do with Niall than his sleep deprivation.

When Harry pushed the door to his room open, he was met with a furiously typing Marcel. "Hiya, Harold!"

"When are you gonna stop calling me that?" Harry said, exasperated, "You of all people should know it's just Harry." Marcel just grinned at him, all glasses, enthusiasm, and highlighter stains.

"Never, Harold!" Harry groaned as he flopped into his bed, too tired to even strip completely. Shocking as it was, the utter exhaustion had beaten his penchant for sleeping in the nude. He couldn't quite fall asleep, however, not with the squeak of Marcel's mechanical pencil.

Even though it had been three years already, sometimes it felt like Harry was still adjusting to to Marcel. He was Harry's identical twin, but no one could even tell. Marcel's huge glasses and slicked back, cut short hair did away with resemblance. He didn't even sound like Harry, with his nasally, constantly allergy ridden voice and energetic speaking. And of course, there was their contrasting personalities. Still, he guessed, they did fit and he loved Marcel more than just about anything in the world. They also did have this odd thing where they'd always end up saying the same pun at the same time when they were in the same room.

Not too long after he and Marcel's birth, Anne and Des' marriage had failed completely. Anne had kept Harry and Gemma, but Des had fought for Marcel and jetted off with with him. Growing up, Harry knew distantly that he had a brother, but since there was no contact between Anne and Des, they'd never even spoken to each other.

Then, one day, Marcel had shown up at their doorstep with his bags and a smile. They found out that Des had never even told him about Harry until he found out through old photographs. He'd then demanded to meet his family and the rest was history. That was was when they were fourteen, and now they were coming up on seventeen. Still, sometimes he was reminded of their childhood spent apart.

As Harry pondered those things, he finally fell asleep.

*****

At dinner, Marcel talked Harry's ear off. Anne had the night shift at the hospital and with Gemma at Uni, Harry now bore the brunt of Marcel's rambling nature. People told him that was one of the traits the two shared. Harry just couldn't see it.

He felt somewhat guilty about not listening, but his thoughts were focused on Niall and besides, he was plenty sure Marcel was more focused on the talking bit than actually having an audience. He had a forkful of food traveling to his mouth, when he picked out the name 'Neil' in the stream of Marcel's chatter. Setting the forgotten bite down, he turned his full attention to Marcel.

"Neil?"

"Yeah, the new transfer student! He's Irish and just the dreamiest." Marcel blushed a little, twirling his fork around and around with a small smile. "Heard he's really good at soccer too." Harry felt a stab of possessiveness as he stared at his blushing brother.

"It's Niall actually." Marcel blinked at the new information before continuing.

"Like the whole school is already in love with him!" Harry heard the silent me too, as he was well versed in the ways of Marcel. "I heard he's hilarious and really good at singing! He can even play guitar!" Marcel squealed and fidgeted in his seat. "Get this: apparently he can speak Gaelic and Spanish!"

Harry perked up a little at that. Harry took Spanish and while he was horrible at it, he could hold the most basic of basic conversations. Purely introductory shit, but hey, who knows? Maybe, just maybe, he could even find knock knock jokes in Gaelic. And then he remembered Marcel was in AP Spanish and had a weird obsession with Celtic history.

"Isn't he just perfect, Harry? Someone said he's into politics and space!" Marcel rested his head in his hands with a blissed out expression on his face. Perfect for you. The clawing jealousy came back with a vengeance as he watched Marcel actually flutter his eyelashes.

"Too bad everyone's after him. I mean, who knows if he's even into guys?" Harry said it impulsively, just to wipe the smitten look of his brother's face. It brought both of their moods down though, as Harry realized he kind of had a point. Neither of them really stood a chance, did they.

"There's always a possibility, right? And you're correct in saying that we don't know. We don't know if he's into girls either." And just like that, Marcel was back to chipper. Harry had to love that about him. Walking around the island, he squeezed Marcel into a half hug.

"C'mon, It's your pick for movie night by the way."

"I want what you want, Harold." Harry let him get away with it only because he gave him the choice. After setting their dishes aside, the two of them cuddled up on the sofa, as Harry searched up romantic comedies on Netflix.


	2. And I Won't be Leaving 'Til I Finish Stealing Every Piece of Your Heart

The next morning was not a good one for Marcel. Harry hadn't done the washing even though he'd reminded him exactly 72 times. A lot of his good clothes were in the hamper, and now he was stuck with one of Harry's vintage band shirts and slacks Gemma got him for her attempt at a makeover once. " _C'mon Marcel_ ," she had whined, "You don't have those legs and that arse for nothing. _Show 'em off!_ " He swore he'd never wear them. Now look where he was.

Harry had also forgotten half the shopping list, so Marcel had none of his trusty gel, his hair already curling wildly. The only thing that made it better was the fact that Harry had also somehow forgotten the bananas. To make matters even worse, Marcel had stepped on his glasses which he'd had for years. He only had the thinner "fashionable" frames, also from Gemma's failed makeover, that she had got fitted with his lenses in the hope that he'd switch over. She insisted they made him look sophisticated, but he had never seen the appeal. On top of it all, his allergies had flared up, leaving his throat scratchy and making his voice sound like a garbage disposal, but lower somehow. Ridiculous. Harry's double take at how alike they now looked was pretty fun though.

Always a positive person, Marcel trooped on letting the good things buoy him through his day, regardless of the rough start. His day did get a whole lot brighter when he'd been assigned to a project with Niall in the class they shared. The teacher had saved the pairings and instructions for the end of the period, so Marcel didn't get a chance to talk to him until they'd bumped into each other in the hall.

"Hi! Marcel was it? Hadn't caught your name last time." Marcel fell in love with his soft giggle, which had overrode his confusion at "last time." "Guess we're honorary members of the odd name club."

"Yeah, my dad was on a French kick. We even lived in France for a few months, but I don't remember it."

"That's pretty cool! I, um, really like the glasses. They look..." Niall flushed at his own words and the word choices flitting through his head, but Marcel was too busy mentally freaking out about how close he was. Marcel felt something like huge moths flopping around in his belly as he looked at Niall. The rosy cheeks, soft-looking blonde hair, and that smile. Never one for too much small talk or picking up cues, Marcel went straight to the point. "So...I guess we're partners for the next two weeks. Wanna come over after school to get started? Also, I heard you're into space. 's that true?" Niall nodded to both questions, bottom lipped tuck between his teeth, lips curved into a slight smile.

"So maybe after, we could use my telescope if you want. I've got a Meade LX90-ACF." Niall's eyes lit up in excitement, lips parted as he let out a little breath. He'd never met someone as seriously into space as he was, and he was taken aback by the fact that Marcel clearly wasn't an amateur.

"Really? I'd love to. You aren't messing around then, are you? I happen to have the same one." Marcel smiled at him so brightly, Niall had to duck his head to control his blush. It was then that he remembered the sheets of paper clutched in his hands and groaned. "I can't, actually, I've got football tryouts right after school."

"I've lived in England for years, but I will always call it soccer." Niall playfully rolled his eyes at that. "And I could pick you up?"

"That'd be perfect. I'll text you when and where." They exchanged cells, each putting in their information. Immediately, Marcels phone vibrated with the text from Niall and he skimmed it before pocketing his phone and smiling at Niall. The two stood just like that, before the bell signaling for lunch rang, and they parted ways with a 'bye' each.


	3. I Should Have Kissed You

“Be right back, Haz, and dinner is on me!” Marcel yelled as he went out the door. Harry swore he sounded more excited than usual, but he wasn’t sure that was even possible. Marcel’s normal, and pretty much only level, is 100. Harry turned back to his homework, and not too long later, he heard the garage opening, signaling Marcel’s arrival. He noted that, but continued. When Harry finished, he stripped down to his pants and put on his classic rock mix, blasting it through his headphones as he danced around a little.

Suddenly, his door was swinging open and he was face to face with Niall. Harry fumbled with the music in his surprise, while Niall looked at him with widening eyes and a steadily rising flush. He looked soft, with his hair flat against his forehead, just a little damp, and wearing a fluffy blue jumper paired with light wash skinnies. Harry was applauding his imagination as he took a step forward, amazed with the details.

In all of his fantasies, this was the moment where Niall would confess to having a massive crush on Harry and kiss him passionately. Right on cue, Niall spread his perfect pink lips, and his tongue darted out to wet them quickly before he spoke. “This isn’t the bathroom is it?” He chuckled nervously after in an attempt to diffuse the odd tension that had come over them. “And there are two of you.” Harry furrowed a brow at that. Dream Niall had never said anything like that, and really, they should be kissing, doing something, by now. The term ‘lucid dreaming’ came to mind.

He thought for a minute about what he'd like to do and settled on dancing. Harry held up his finger, signaling for Niall to wait, before tossing off his headphones and connecting his phone to his speakers. When Stevie Nick's voice came through, Harry took one of Niall's and twirled him, startling a laugh from him. Niall started singing along the next time Harry spun him, and it shocked Harry into stopping. It was bright with a hint of rasp to it that made Harry shiver a little. "You've never sung before. It's _beautiful,_ truly." Niall looked away and played with his fingers, self-deprecating grin sliding into place. Whatever it was that made dream Niall more complex this time, Harry loved it, but dream or not, he couldn't stand to see him think less of himself. he caught one of Niall's hands in his and pulled him closer. "Hey, don't do that, put yourself down like that. I meant what I said and I've got no reason to lie." Harry said the last bit with a half smile. The urge to hug Niall kept nagging at him until he gave in. Niall made a small noise of surprise, before burying his face in the side of Harry's neck, forgetting the fact that he was half-naked until Marcel calling from downstairs broke them apart.

"Niall, you okay up there?"

Flushed, Niall answered. "'m fine." Wait. _Marcel?_ Harry thought. Niall made his way to the door, pausing before stepping out and looking back at Harry with a lop-sided grin. "Thanks..."

"Harry," he said as he mentally cringed at himself for thinking the whole encounter was a dream, "And the bathroom is the next for on your right." Niall gave a last grateful smile and was gone from Harry's doorway. With a groan, Harry flopped back onto his bed, Fleetwood Mac still playing softly.


	4. I Should Have Kissed You Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait time! A huge thank you to all my readers out there!

Bored, Harry eventually joined Niall and Marcel. He watched them sprawl out on the living room floor with textbooks as their shoulders touched. He watched them giggle their way through assignments, randomly falling into loud laughter as they studied, and huddle close together. He listened to them have intense conversations and debates on subjects he knew nothing about, political jargon flying left and right. He even suffered through watching Niall playfully swipe at Marcel's glasses to try them on until it became a game that, in Harry's opinion, was really just an excuse for unnecessary touching.

Despite all of this, dinner was somehow worse.

Niall insisted on helping Marcel in the kitchen, and even though Harry was the one who actually worked in a bakery, it was the two of them who baked a cake for fun. It wasn't all bad, though, because Harry learned that Niall was an absolute fiend in the kitchen, tasting everything he could at any given opportunity. It was a seriously endearing trait to both Harry and Marcel, and neither did much whenever he got at a dish. It was when Niall got to the chocolate covered wooden spoon, licking it clean in such a way that the twins were red for several minutes after, that Marcel gave up altogether.

Throughout the cleaning process, Niall and Marcel were practically attached at the hip, which Harry really didn't understand, seeing as the kitchen had plenty of room. For the sake of efficiency, and though he'd never admit it, to also cut down on time for Marcel to chat Niall up, Harry helped them out. It was also an incredibly weird experience for Harry because, for once, he and Marcel looked alike, so it was like watching himself flirt relentlessly with Niall. A cruel and unusual punishment for sure.

When Marcel and Niall finished messing about in the kitchen under the clever guise of cooking and cleaning, they brought everything out, and the three of them sat down to eat, with them on one side and Harry on the other. Niall looked up through his lashes at Marcel, almost shyly. "Y'know...I'm free Thursday night?"

Marcel lit up at his words. "Meteor shower?" Niall nodded, embarrassed at the way he practically invited himself over. Marcel thought nothing of it, euphoric even at the idea of having Niall over again. "Wanna come over again and watch?"

"Of course!" Harry died a little on the inside, having just watched his brother score a date with Niall without even trying.

Then the two decided to converse in Spanish the whole time, all but excluding Harry outright. He walked the line between wanting to tear his hair out in frustration and being uncomfortably turned on by how sexy Niall sounded speaking Spanish. He couldn't tell if they were flirting or talking about him, maybe even both.

Harry was scratching his head for something to say besides, "Hi! What's your name?" and he was coming up blank. All that was coming to mind was 'vi ano,' which he  _ thinks _ meant 'I like you' or something nice like that.

Clearing his throat a tad too aggressively, he finally got Niall and Marcel's attention. "So, uh, hola. Vi ano?" The blinked, looking at each other before Marcel let out a single, quiet giggle. Then they both started guffawing for a solid minute straight (Harry timed it). Harry's whole face felt like it was on fire, and he just wanted to fade away.

"What's so funny?" Marcel slowly took the fist he was laughing into from his mouth.

"You said 'I anus you,'"

"Oh." As he stood, Harry let out a fake laugh that went on for too long. "That's  _ hilarious,  _ really, so funny. I'm just gonna-gonna, y' know..." Harry spun on his heel. And then tripped on nothin and promptly face-planted into the ground.

Niall, the picture of concern, rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, absolutely A-okay! Just peachy, honest!" He sealed the performance with a chuckle, before running from the room.

Once in his own bed, Harry let the tears that had been building leak. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he pressed his face into the pillow. It wasn't the big of a dal, but he felt like  _ such _ an idiot. Why did some little, okay, ginormous, crush have him feeling so out of sorts? When his pillow had been thoroughly soaked, a timid knock sounded at the door.

"Harry? It's me, Niall. Can I come in?"

"Just a minute!" Harry jumped out of bed and gritted his teeth to stymie the flow of fresh tears. Looking in the mirror, he checked if it looked like he had been crying. Wincing at how obvious it was, he scrubbed harshly at his face. 

When Harry unlocked the door, a guilty-looking Niall stepped in.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm really sorry." 

"What?" Harry had to clear his throat because of how wrecked he sounded, "Hurt feelings?  _ Me _ ? Pfft..." Niall bit his lip as his eyes flickered over to the huge dark patch on Harry's pillow. Sitting heavily on the bed, Harry quickly flipped it over. "I...drool a lot in my sleep." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Harry wasn't sure which was worse, the fact that he'd been crying over a simple mistake or him covering it up with a drooling problem.

"You fell asleep then? It's only been about fifteen minutes." Niall pursed his lips, but Harry could see them twitching as he fought back a grin. "Goof." Harry had never been so happy to have been called a name. "Don't scare me like that, 'kay?" Harry felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards.

"Okay." Niall gave him a quick half-hug that left him dumbfounded before getting up and leaving the room. 


	5. I Should Have Kissed You Pt. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really need to sort out a schedule, but thanks to anyone who's still reading! It's a lil hard to find time between school and whatever else is going on, but I'll figure it out.

Feeling like he was on a cloud, Harry stayed in the same position for ages, until the need to use the loo became too strong. On his return trip, Niall and Marcel emerged from Gemma's old room, not Marcel's personal observatory because of view and deck, all smile-ly and Niall's entire face was flushed. Just like that, Harry's good mood was gone. His eyes zeroed in on where Marcel had their fingers laced, as he tugged a breathless Niall past. 

"Where're you guys going?" Harry fought hard to keep his voice vet, but it shook anyways. 

"The backyard. We wanna see the sky!"

"Haven't got your fill yet?" 

"Not quite," Niall chipped in, "No, but you could join us?" 

" _No!_ " It came out harsher than he meant it to, but watching them just _click_ together like they did all night, and potentially, whatever they were doing that had Niall so red in the face and Marcel so giddy, was _not_ how he wanted to spend the rest of his day. Of course, he didn't have any particular activity in mind. 

Niall's smile dimmed a little, and Harry felt immediate regret. "No thank you," he said much softer, "I'll just be watching the tele or something."

Marcel, not paying attention to the small exchange, started. "Shoot! I forgot a blanket. Wait for me, 'kay?" And with that, Marcel left a slightly frowning Niall and a guilty feeling Harry together.

"I didn't mean to shout at you."

"It's fine." Harry didn't really feel forgiven, though. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Harry restarted.

"I'm sorry for yelling, that wasn't okay of me. It wasn't personal or anything like that, but that doesn't make it right. "Are we okay?"

"We were always okay." But at least Niall was smiling again, making Harry go all warm. And then Marcel was back with a couple of blankets tucked under his arm.

"Onwards!" Grabbing Niall's hand again, he whisked him away. 

Harry put on whatever he found until, after about an hour, his curiosity got the better of him. He stepped out and headed for where they sat. Niall was snuggled up against Marcel, fast asleep, clutching a bag of chocolate. Harry couldn't even focus on his jealousy at first, taking in how beautiful he was, the moonlight washing him white. He looked utterly relaxed, lips spread a little as he took deep, even breaths, and _fuck_ was he fit.

After that moment of admiration, Harry was able to take in the full picture. Marcel was beaming at nothing, looking deliriously happy to be Niall's pillow, a most coveted position. Ridiculously jealous, Harry cleared his throat loud enough to get Marcel's attention, but not enough to wake Niall. "Shouldn't you be getting home or something? It's kinda late." Marcel pouted, but Niall nodded in agreement.

"He never mentioned a curfew or anything." Gently, Marcel shook him awake. When he didn't budge, Marcel had to nudge him harder.

"I'm awake, I'm awake." He regarded them sleepily as he started eating his chocolate again, causing the twins to crack a grin. 

"What time do you have to be home?" Marcel asked. Niall's face scrunched up into a cute yawn before he answered. "Anytime is fine, no one'll care." Immediately, concern for him shot through them both.

"If anything is going on--" Harry started.

"At home, you can tell us." Marcel finished seamlessly. 

"Freaky." Niall stared at them in awe for a few seconds before snapping out of it. "Not like that, sillies. My dad's gone a lot for work, and he's pretty relaxed when it comes to curfews and stuff anyways." Marcel, ever the gentleman, began to offer him a ride home, but Harry interrupted. 

"Why don't you stay the night?" Almost sick with nerves, he avoided looking into Niall's eyes, but couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"Are you sure? Wouldn't want to overstay my welcome and all that." Harry looked up in disbelief and saw that despite the uncertainty of his words, his eyes gleamed with excitement eat the prospect.

Marcel waved a hand. "Of _course_ we want you to stay! It's been great having you, honest."

"Okay then," Niall said, "Thanks."

"Do you have anything to change into?" As Harry asked the question, an image of Niall in his clothes and in his bed, flashed through his mind, leaving him fidgety and hot. 

Niall's next yawn got them all in motion, and they all headed inside. Niall and his bag of chocolate went off to get changed, while the twins went through their nightly rituals. Marcel, clad in a full pyjama set, and Harry in pants and an old t-shirt for Niall's sake, waited for his return. Niall walked back in with his big bag looking significantly more empty than it had outside and Harry's eyes almost fell out of his head when he got a look at what Niall was wearing.

He was dressed in a stretched and faded tank top, with his pants just barely peeking out from the bottom. The freckles scattered over his pale skin caught Harry's attention, dragging it over the contours and lean, defined muscle. Harry couldn't help the strangled, though quiet, noise that escaped him. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep much that night, a fact that he came to accept the more he looked at Niall, who broke the silence with a clap,

"So, guess I'll be taking the floor then."

Marcel, obviously as affected by Niall's change as Harry, collected himself before shooting down the suggestion. "You're a guest, so maybe we could find the air mattress?" Marcel quieted some, shy at his next suggestion. "O-or you could take my bed?"

"Or mine!" Niall laughed a little at Harry's idea.

"Don't you drool?" Harry should've known that lie was going to come back and bite him in the ass. The probably pained look on his face made Niall immediately take back the statement. With apologetic eyes, he squeezed Harry's shoulder, causing him to shiver a little. Marcel looked at Harry in confusion, but Harry gave him a _don't ask_ glance back. 

"I wasn't being serious." And with that, he flopped backwards into Harry's bed. "See?" he said as he made himself comfortable, looking like a vision and biting his lip as his tank top rode up to showing his upper thigh and the beginnings of his--Harry immediately averted his eyes. "We could all just use Harry's bed? Plenty o' room right here," He spread out his arms and legs with a smile, making his shirt go up a little more, "Or we could all use the floor like a real sleepover."

The twins immediately dropped to the floor. Niall giggled from where he laid. "I am totally not offended by that, not at all. Floor it is then!"


	6. Spaces Between Us Hold All Our Secrets

Harry used an excuse of going to get more blankets to leave, feeling like he needed air. When he came back, Marcel had already gotten started on the cuddling, heads together as they spoke. At Harry's entrance, Niall rolled onto his back, giving him an upside down view Harry. "Come join us," he whined, making grabby hands. Harry's face heated up as he complied.

The three fell into easy conversation, Niall's earlier drowsiness gone. As the night wore on, the conversation turned into something deeper, more personal, as they divulged stories of divorce, older siblings, and in general, growing up. It wasn't until Marcel asked why Niall moved, that the atmosphere changed. He gave a vague twisting answer about going along with Bobby, before they all fell silent. "I've only ever told my da this, but I'm gay." 

Harry's mouth hung open in shock, confused at the seemingly unconnected admission. Hope stirred in his belly, and he felt deeply touched that Niall, who really barely knew them, had trusted them with that sort of information. "We're the only one's to know?" Harry said, still stunned, "I'm glad you feel comfortable enough with us to share."

"I didn't say you were the only one's to know." He spat out bitterly, but from the faraway look in his eyes, Harry knew it wasn't aimed at either of them. He understood there was a story there, Niall's pain more than palpable, but he also knew he wasn't ready to share yet. "Having your choice taken in something is the worst, isn't it?" Niall started to shake a little, tremors Harry and Marcel could feel due to how close they all were. 

"Niall--" 

"I think it's time for me to go to bed, 'Cause I'm super tired." His voice came out shaky and wrecked. Quickly, he stood to turn off the lights, before settling down a little aways and huddling under the blankets. After several seconds of silent communication, they moved to where Niall was, bracketing him.

"I'm gay too," Marcel whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder as a sign of support. Harry's never really wanted to label himself, despite his attraction to people irregardless of sex, so he said nothing, instead placing a hand on Niall's other shoulder.

"Thank you." And that was the last sound all of them heard before going to sleep.


	7. And It's Alright Calling Out for Somebody to Hold Tonight

Niall moving against Harry woke him up sometime in the morning. With his eyes still closed, Harry sleepily listened to Niall shuffle and rummaged around in his duffel before leaving the room. When Harry saw that Marcel, an even heavier sleeper than even Harry, was still dead to the world, he kicked off his covers, made a quick pit stop in the bathroom, and followed him.

Just before he rounded the corner, with a ‘good morning’ on the tip of his tongue, the sound of ringing held him back. Looking around the corner, he saw a sleep rumpled Niall eating a bowl of cereal as he stared intently at his laptop screen. The smile on his face when whoever he was calling picked up made Harry a little lightheaded. Briefly, he wished Niall looked that happy to see him before dismissing the thought.

  
“Hi, Da!” Niall’s brogue, thicker with sleep, made Harry shiver a little.

  
“Hello, Nialler! Where are you?” Everything about the man sounded warm, and Harry couldn’t help but smile at his accent, the same one as Niall’s.   
“I’m at friends’ right now. Stayed the night.” 

  
“Staying over already, hm? Well then, is he cute?” Niall choked and spluttered, face going instantly red.

  
“Da! I don’t know! And there are two of them, twins.” While Niall’s dad laughed long and hard at his son’s reaction, Harry went all hot at the idea that Niall might find him cute. 

  
“Twins? Good on ya, lad!”

  
“Bobby!” Niall groaned, flush still creeping up and deepening.

  
“I’m only messing’ with you. Still, it’s all good information to know, innit? Tell me about them.” 

  
“No, I don’t believe any of that was important for you to know. Harry and Marcel are friendly and funny and just...really nice.”

  
“Bring ’em over one of these days. Now, which one were you thinking about to get you all red in the face like that? I bet fifty dollars on Harry, ’cause he sounds about right.” Harry felt horribly guilty and knew curiosity was never an excuse, but he was hooked.

  
“Jesus, Da!” Niall squeaked, “What does that even mean? You don’t even know them! I said we’re friends! Why don’t you ask your normal questions?” Bobby chuckled some more before asking them.

  
“Are you taking your meds? Are you safe? Are you happy? “Did you have fun?” And on and on, rapid-fire, to all of which Niall answered yes.   
“Do you think harry’s cute?” 

  
“Yeah.” Even though he knew Niall was on autopilot, the response still made his head go swimmy.

  
“Hey! I’ll hang up on you, old man, I’m serious!” Niall’s chest and up were still crimson, but the twitching of his lips gave away his bluff.

  
“Got you good, didn’t I?” Bobby laughed out, “I’m joking, Ni, just nice hearing about you making good friends. It’s nice seeing you happy; you know that?” Bobby’s tone took on tinges of anger and sadness, suddenly sounding weary, and the two had their first quiet spell since the start of the call. 

  
“So why’re you calling, Bub, aside from missing my mug, of course.” Niall’s quiet for a second, trying to figure out what to say.

  
“It wasn’t important.” The way he was squeezing his bowl said otherwise. Harry could hear Bobby sighing.

  
“Come out with it, son.” Niall fidgeted for a few more seconds before sighing himself.

  
“I just...It feels like it’s gonna be another one of those days and, like, I--” He cut himself off when his voice cracked, twisting his fingers together over and over again.

  
“Do you want to tell me about it?” There was a pregnant pause before Niall signaled no. Bobby spoke again, his voice losing all of the jauntiness of just a few minutes prior, instead coming out sad and much older sounding.

  
“I know feelings and all that has never been our thing, but I regret that, especially now. I hate seeing you like this, and I-I don’t know how to help or reach you.”

  
Niall gave a laugh, a pained, soft little sound. “Proper Irish like that, aren’t we? No, Da, none of this is your fault, you’re the best father I could’ve asked for, and I know I can come to you on just about anything. It’s just that I don’t know how to tell you how broken I feel, how disgusted I am with myself. I’m terrified that maybe...And I know you blame yourself for some of it, but it isn’t you, it’s all me. We can’t even go home anymore because of me!” 

  
“Niall!” Bobby’s voice came out booming, “You were wronged in a horrible way! None of that reflects on you in the slightest, and home is wherever you are, kiddo, not some town.”

The little sobs Niall gave is what gave Harry the push he needed to go. It was like he’d been rooted to the spot, but he hurried back upstairs and into the bathroom, almost nauseous with guilt as he clenched the countertop. Hunched over the sink, he felt the faint burn of bile as what he’d seen replayed in his head. Behind his closed eyes, all he could see was haunted and traumatized Niall, one of the single most heartbreaking things he’d ever seen, only making the horror at his intrusion that much more pronounced. 

  
He waited a long fifteen minutes before creeping back downstairs. Niall was done with the call, his laptop shut beside his head, which he was resting on his arms. Clearing his throat for Niall to hear, he shuffled into the kitchen. Niall’s head shot up with a small noise of surprise. “Mornin’, Harry!” He said with a brightly, albeit shakily, as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes discreetly. Harry crossed the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Niall, who immediately buried his face in Harry’s neck.

  
It wasn’t about his massive crush on Niall then, but instead, seeing another person in pain and instinctively wanting to lessen it. 

  
Eventually, Harry found himself admitting to what he’d done. “I overheard your conversation with your dad, and it wasn’t my intention to spy or anything, but it happened. look, I know this isn’t much of an excuse but--”

  
“Shut up; All is forgiven if you keep holding me.” Niall laughed wetly, and over the wet press of tears, he could feel his smile. So Harry did just that, holding him tight until he could no longer feel Niall shaking ever so slightly under his fingertips.

  
After a while, the two began to sway in what was more of a clutch than a hug. Harry gingerly took a hand and spun him slowly. Allowing Niall to take the lead, the two danced around the room before an ill-performed spin sent them toppling to the floor, Niall on top of Harry.

  
“Do you like dancing or something?” Harry kicked up his legs, unintentionally causing Niall to slide down his thigh, but he sure wasn’t complaining.

  
“Not really. I’m actually pretty bad at it.”

  
“That’s believable.”

  
“Hey!” Niall giggled, not making any move to get off, and again, Harry wasn’t complaining. He saw Niall’s lips move but didn’t hear his reply, probably something sarcastic, instead staring at his mouth.

  
All of a sudden Niall’s weight and mouth were gone, leaving a dazed Harry. “You okay?”

  
“I’m fine,” he answered, a bit put out with not being pinned by Niall anymore. Niall yawned, scrubbing at his eyes, before setting about washing and drying the bowl he used. “We can go back to bed? It’s still fairly early,” Harry offered, a bit tried himself. A glance at the clock on the oven told him it was almost 7:30. Niall nodded, turning and resting his forehead on Harry’s shoulder for a brief (and exhilarating) few seconds before the two went back upstairs.

  
He paused before they re-entered the twin’s bedroom, catching Harry’s eye. “Thank you...so much.” His eyes were near clear in the early morning light, and full of so much emotion and all around gratitude. All Harry could do was nod and squeeze his shoulder, letting him go in first.  



	8. I Want To Be Loved By You

A few hours later, the twins woke up to find that Niall was gone again and the fragrant smells of hot breakfast in the air. The two got ready for the day before venturing downstairs and were met with the sight of food laid out and a furiously scrubbing Niall. He was elbow deep in soapy water and dishes, the muscles in his back visibly shifting as he worked. 

“Niall, you didn’t have to do all of this, you’re a guest.” He jumped a little and turned to face them with a sheepish smile. 

“I know, it’s just that cleaning makes me better. That and mild OCD, but…” He shrugged, “It’s really not a big deal, honestly.” Harry thought back to their earlier conversation, and what he’d overheard, and looking around, he saw that Niall had tidied up here and there and seemed to have even taken care of the little plant on the window sill. 

“Well if that’s the case...marry me, please!” Marcel was only joking, but Harry hadn’t missed the way they both went a little red. “Seriously though, thanks.” They shared a grin as Harry looked on, again feeling like an outsider or a third wheel. 

“Anyways,” Niall said, “Help yourselves!” And with that, he turned and went back to the dishes. When he finished, Harry jumped to dry. 

“Harry, it’s f--”

“Just let me, okay” Niall conceded, but not without a playful eye roll.

“Ever the gentleman, aren’t you, Styles?” He walked over to where Marcel was sitting and dropped into the seat next to him. Almost immediately, the flirting started up again, all “casual” (and really unnecessary) touches Harry knew Marcel would rave about later, accompanied by light blushes from Niall. Harry was just nearly finished and ready to rejoin them when Anne came in. Marcel was in the midst of feeding Niall, a hand cupped under his chin and everything when her abrupt entrance caused him to retract his arm. Niall promptly choked on the toast, hacking as Anne raised her brow at the three of them. Harry frowned in return before giving her a peck on the check. 

“At least one of you loves me.” Marcel wasted no time in scrambling from his seat to kiss her other cheek. “Sorry, boys, it was a pretty wild night at the hospital, so I had to help out. Now, Marcel, won’t you introduce me to the nice young man you’ve brought over.”

“This is Niall. He’s new to our school, just transferred from Ireland.”

“Hello,” he said a bit shyly and with a small grin.

“You’re a cute one, love.” Marcel groaned, and the speed at which Niall went red would’ve been alarming if it hadn’t been so, well, cute. Anne paused to look around the kitchen, and the food spread out. “Well, you boys have been busy, haven’t you?” She reached over to gently ruffle Harry’s hair, while Marcel kept glancing over at Niall, looking like he was going to burst.

Harry saw Niall mouth ‘no’ to him, but it was already too late, and Marcel was talking before he could do anything else. “ _ Actually _ , Niall did all of this. By himself.” Anne hummed appreciatively, smiling kindly at him. “Well aren’t you a keeper? Right, Marcel?”

“ _ Mom _ !”

“Thank you?” Niall replied, looking up with a deep red blush creeping up his cheeks. Anne cooed at him, and it was all the twins could do not to join.

“But, in the future, dear, you’re a guest in our home, and you’re under no obligation to do anything around here. That’s...” Anne reached out quick as anything to pinch Marcel and Harry’s cheeks, “What these two are for. Anywho, I’m off to shower and things, I’ll be right with you, hun.” 

And with that, she was gone before Niall could say anything else. Before silence could descend, however, the doorbell rang.

  
  



	9. Waking Up Beside You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I know, I know, I've been talking of sorting out a schedule from day one, but please, bear with me. I'm so busy at the moment, it doesn't even make sense. Regardless, I'm going to try to make updating a priority. Also, I've been considering going off anon. There's not much of a reason, but I just kinda wanna see my work count go up to make me feel like a productive human being. No one's been outright nasty either, so surely it's alright??? Well, let me know what you think I should do lmfao. As always, love to see your kind comments! Love, B

Harry opened the door to find an absolute giant towering over him, a solid wall of muscle, and behind him Harry spotted a dark luxury car. The stranger smiled with a warm ‘hello,’ drawing his eyes up to the bright smile on his face. Feeling embarrassed at his obvious gawking, Harry avoided direct eye contact.

“I’m here for Niall?” Harry’s curiosity was piqued at the familiar Irish brogue

“Oh, yeah, he’s inside.” He stepped aside to allow the man in. When he entered the kitchen, Marcel stared a little too, before giving a confused “hi?” Niall turned at that, his whole face lighting up at the sight.

“Bressie!” Niall launched himself at him, until the man,  _ Bressie _ he thought, enveloped him in a tight hug, making Niall’s lithe frame look even smaller in comparison. Bressie laughed a hearty laugh, his head thrown back as he shook.

“Hi there, wee one.”

“Missed you,” he said, the end getting lost in Bressie’s chest as he turned into him “And by the way, whatever you do, don’t answer any of da’s calls. If you absolutely must speak to him, keep it brief and don’t listen to him.”

“Already spoke with him, bub.” Though the tone was jovial, Harry saw a flicker of concern crossed Bressie’s face, and watched as Niall tensed up in his arms.

“So,” Niall said, while Bressie pulled back, trying for light, “What crap did he fill your head with?”

Bressie seemed to ignore the question, instead focusing on Harry and Marcel.” Which one of you is  _ Harry _ ?” The inflection alone was enough to have Niall crying out.

“ _Bressie!_ He was talking utter shite! He’s literally never even met them!” Marcel took all of this in quietly, confusion evident in his expression, while Harry again thought back to that morning, hischeeks growing warm.

“You’re cute when you’re being oblivious,  _ kitten _ .” An all-knowing look from Bressie was being sent the twins way, and Harry had a distinct, prickling feeling of being caught out.

“Oblivious to  _ what,  _ exactly? And how many times do we have to talk about that particular pet name, head?”

“Just accept it. Like a lil’ kitten you are, wee one” Laughter could be heard in Bressie’s voice, as Niall shot him the most non-menacing glare Harry’d ever seen. The hair falling above his eyes made it even prettier. 

“The day I don’t protest ‘kitten’ is the day I’m not okay.” Bressie’s eyes filled with that same look of concern from earlier.

“You let me call you that not so long ago.” He said it so quietly, no one but Harry, close as he was, could hear it. Even then he wondered if he’d heard correctly. Immediately, however, Bressie’s seemingly ever-present grin was back.”Ready to go?”

“Yeah, but I left everything upstairs.”

“I’ll go!” Marcel piped up from the table, before rushing upstairs to retrieve his things, not even waiting for Niall’s answer. Niall, after his initial surprise at his haste, stared forlornly after his half-finished plate, until Bressie noticed.

“You can finish if you want, chief. Is that alright with you?” He turned his questioning gaze on Harry, who nodded a bit too intensely. More time with Niall was always a welcome thing, and he hadn’t missed the happiness in Niall’s eyes. 

All too soon, though, the pair was off in Bressie’s incredibly expensive looking car. As they watched them go off, Anne returned, studying them in interest.

“So who’s going to talk first?”


	10. You Don't Know You're Beautiful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at proofreading my own work, and as soon as it leaves my body, it is out there, and I can't be forced to reread to save my life. As for the title, I had to, okay? This was the perfect chapter AND how could I not pay homage to WYMBD? She's a sexy bitch. Also, here I stand before you all...naked and vulnerable. Please, do not hurt me; I DO NOT LIKE CRITICISM. But I will take it if it's genuine and constructive and even appreciate it. As always, comments and thoughts are welcome and encouraged!
> 
> Shoutout to @CordensAngels131 for being so sweet, and sending uplifting messages to me. 
> 
> If anyone cares to know, my Tumblr is @celticcraicdaddy !

After Niall had gone, the weekend passed uneventfully, aside from Marcel’s incessant chattering with Anne about Niall and wearing on Harry’s nerves as a result. ( _Mum, he’s the nicest, sweetest, hotte– sweetest guy. And he speaks Spanish!” Yes, we’re just_ friends _! No, I don’t like him like_ that _, that’d be_ weird _like-pftt..._ Mum!) Harry had tried his hardest to act as normal and unbothered as possible, but he wasn’t entirely sure it was of any use, not with Anne’s penchant for seeing through him at all times. The way Anne had looked at him most of the time, with a smile that was entirely too wise for his liking, was unnerving. 

Despite all of that, Harry was eager to see Niall again, and, a rare occurrence for him, was incredibly excited for the school week to start. That was enough to carry him through Marcel’s endless Niall-centric gushing, and Anne’s suggestive glances over Marcel’s shoulder.

Come Monday though, glimpses of Niall were far and few between, and there was no interaction to speak of. His break only came at lunch, when he caught sight of him sitting alone at lunch. It had occurred to Harry that he’d never actually seen Niall in the cafeteria, and pondering this, he steeled himself for the walk over. 

Marcel, however, beat him to it, streaking from the corner of his eye to settle next to Niall. It seemed to start some sort of a chain reaction, with a lot of other people peeling off to make their way over. Hurrying, he managed to catch a seat directly across from Niall and was just about to say hello when Kendall dove in next to him. She immediately launched into a conversation that meant to be one-on-one, but Harry was wary of that trap after so long and worked hard to involve the rest of the table until it was entirely out of her hands.

_Kendall_. 

Head cheerleader, and sweet, albeit quite determined. There was a string of other things that made her so well-liked around school and so influential, and Harry could appreciate all of that, as a friend. The problem was, however, that Kendall was not all interested in friendship, and, rather doggedly, pursued something romantic with him and had been since around the end year ten. He’d tried to let her down gently, and then later, a little less gently, but it seemed to have no effect that he could see. So, after so many awkward conversations and much obvious flirting, he’d developed a series of tactics for evasion. It wasn’t entirely that he didn’t like her like that, but also the weird feeling that she didn’t really like him, but some idea of him or something.

The conversation had gotten lively, and he’d managed to get everyone at the table engaged, except for the one person he really wanted to talk to. Harry watched as Marcel animatedly told some story that had Niall quietly giggling into a hand as a light blush rose in his cheeks.

Lunch continued on like that. Kendall attempted a footsie match under the table until someone on her left got annoyed at her misses, kept making prolonged eye contact with him and giving awkward compliments, and “accidentally” grazing his arm all the while. 

Eventually, in the middle of dodging one of Kendall’s questions, Harry caught Niall’s eye, and Niall smiled back, bright and infectious. He trailed off, mouth going dry instantly as he tried to return the beam, and amazed at how Niall managed to look so breathtaking under fluorescents as pale as he was. He was about to say something, anything, when Kendall’s hand on his arm stole his attention. 

She laughed loudly, never taking her hand away. “ _Harry_ , that was hilarious, _God!_ And then what?” He raised his hand to shake out his curls, successfully dislodging the hand, but he wasn’t sure if the result was better or worse. Kendall just rotated her body towards him, face cupped in her hands as she hung off of his words.

Just like that, the moment was gone, and Harry could never quite manage another mutual gaze. 

People began to peel off just before the bell rang, until the full table only had a handful left, pulled up chairs littering the edges. Kendall clung on, mentioning her birthday party, which, if Harry was correct, was still months away. Eventually, she too left, but only because of how far her next class was. Marcel was the last one there, aside from Harry and Niall, but he dashed off with a “Gonna be late!” and a hurried apology, ever the perfect attendance student.

And then it was just the two of them apart from a few stragglers dotting the much quieter cafeteria. Niall stood, leisurely rifling through his bag and preparing to go on his way.

“Hey,” Harry called out, unwilling to waste the moment alone. 

“Hiya, Harry!” Niall rounded the table so that they were shoulder to shoulder, sending him an easy grin that made him feel shy, as they sort of ambled forward. “Who was that girl? The one that was _blatantly flirting_ with you the whole time.” 

Harry tried to play it off, not really wanting to get into it. “Oh, that was just Kendall. She wasn–”

“ _Mate_ ,” Niall stopped dead in his tracks to look at Harry in disbelief, “She has it _bad_.” As Harry scrambled to come up with some sort of denial or something to change the subject with, Niall’s expression changed. He looked up at Harry through his eyelashes, pursing his lips as he leaned in. “You are so _funny_ , Hazzy!” he said, his voice saccharine sweet, “Tell me that one story again!” 

He brushed a hand up his arm, making Harry shiver a little as he looked into those twinkling blue eyes, entranced. A long moment passed where the two stood silent together, frozen until Niall broke the odd tension with a wide grin. “Take it from me, if you’re not gonna take your head out of your ass, she’s def–”

“Fine, I know already! She’s made it _plenty_ clear, I just don’t see her that way, and I’m not into her like _that_ …” He was trying to stress it, but Niall looked a bit lost. The bell rang, pausing their conversation as the tones sounded, but right after Niall spoke again.

“Yeah, but–”

“It won’t ever happen, trust me.” Harry smiled to sell it, but Niall just squinted at him.

“Are you trying to, like, tell me you’re gay or something?”

“No, I am not. Well, actually, I really don’t label mys–Not the point. I just don’t feel the same, and it’s been like this since year ten. Tried every trick in the book to shake her, but I swear it just gets worse.” 

“Surely she can’t be that bad? Not even a shot? Not to sound super shallow or anything, but she seemed really nice and smart, and she’s obviously well-liked and pretty. I may be queer as fuck, but I’ve got eyes, dude.” 

Before Harry could think over his words, he opened his mouth in response. “Could say the same about you.” Harry stood mortified, and Niall froze for a second, incredulity flickering across his face. He seemed to shake what came over him so quickly, Harry wasn’t quite sure he’d seen anything at all. Giving Harry a weak jab in the arm, Niall chuckled a little.

“Sure do know how to put ’em on, you charming bastard.” Harry might’ve been mistaken in blurting it out like that, but he certainly wasn’t joking, and something in him felt it was important to let Niall know this. 

“I’m serious, Niall, you’re pretty cool.” He felt a bit flushed at his words which he felt to be rather bold given the circumstances, before looking up to see a slight frown on Niall’s face.

“Thank you, but...I don’t need to be showered with compliments.” The frown deepened further as he talked, “Especially one’s that aren’t true.” It was low, quiet, and packed full of emotion, so it took Harry a bit to piece together what he’d said. He was sure he wasn’t meant to hear that and was at a loss for words. Niall hiked up his bag and plastered on smiles too bright to be real. “We’re going to be so late, and I really need to be off. Bye, Harry!” With that, Niall hastened for his class, leaving Harry confused. 

He hoped he hadn’t ruined this fragile, new friendship with Niall, but he mostly felt sort of sad that felt that way. As he trudged to his hated science class, Harry wondered what had happened for someone as great as Niall to get down on themself like that. This wasn’t the first time, either, that he’d seen some sort of hint that something had happened to him. Amazingly, as late as he was, the teacher hadn’t done anything about it. Harry took his seat, letting the monotone droning of the lecture wash over him and pondering these things. 

  
  



	11. Little Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way, no, the WAY we're only 11 chapters into this thing, and I'm already struggling with lyric/chapter titles. It wouldn't be Wattpad fic without 'em though, so I suck it up 😢

Harry managed to track Niall down at the end of the day to apologize, feeling incredibly guilty for what had happened. He’d all but given up hope, before spotting him outside, waiting for a ride. 

“Ni–”

“Love you too, even though you have the humour of a crumbly cake.” Curiosity ate at him as he stood awkwardly behind him. Hanging up on the person on the other end, Harry presumed, Niall pulled his earbuds out and turned to see Harry. He looked a bit taken aback by seeing him, and Harry immediately felt ten times worse before Niall’s face broke out into a smile.

“Hey, Harry, what’s up?” And for a moment, Harry was tempted to not bring their earlier conversation back up and continue on as usual. If Niall wasn’t going to say anything and didn’t look bothered in the least, why would he? He ignored the small voice in his head and cleared his throat.

“I just wanted to say sorry about...earlier, and–”

“Don’t even worry about it, I was just being overdramatic. In fact, I should probably be apologizing if I made you feel bad in any way.” He shot Harry a slightly strained grin as he hiked his bag up. A reply was struggling it’s way out of Harry's mouth when a dark luxury car pulled up beside them. Harry glanced at it, but Niall didn’t seem to react much.

“I was just going to say you can talk to me and stuff if you need to.” A sharp beeping of the horn cut off what Niall was going to say. 

“Patience my arse, Bressie,” He muttered, sending the driver a finger. Harry looked again but saw that the windows were heavily tinted. The longer he looked, the more familiar the car seemed to be. 

Finally, he placed the model from one of his car magazines. It was a new Mercedes S-class and had to be at least, by a conservative estimate, 75,000 pounds. Harry sort of, no really, wanted to touch it, but he saw Niall cough a little out of the corner of his eye.

“Sorry, I’m just really into cars and...but anyways you can come to me anytime,” Internally, he facepalmed having made himself out to be a dick and repeating himself like an idiot.

“I’m _fine_ , Haz, honest. See you later, yeah?” After sending a last little lopsided grin, he climbed into the car, and they drove off. With a start, Harry realized Niall had called him something other than Harry for the first time. He couldn’t help but grin, staring down the road in shock even though they were long gone.

*****

Harry was deep in focus, working with the dough at hand when Marcel came in. “Are you stress baking again? I thought you kicked the habit.”

“I am _not_ , thank you very much. Can’t I bake because it’s a hobby, and I find it fun? I _do_ work in a bakery.” Marcel shrugged his shoulders with a grin.

“I mean, I guess, but I’ve never known you to do so at 11 at night on a school day.” Marcel looked around the table and at the array of materials laid out. Carefully, he picked up the thing of dragees and rods, all various shades of pink.

“Oh, I see now,” Marcel wiggled his eyebrows gleefully before taking a scoop, “Harry’s in _loveeee._ ”

“Don’t touch those! I spent twenty dollars on that mix! And these are for no one, you twat!” Marcel only put half of his handful back before running out of reach of Harry’s slaps. 

“See, you say that, but the defensive tone says otherwise. Now spill, please.” 

“There’s nothing to spill, and I am entitled to a private life.” Marcel pouted, brows knitted together. It wasn’t often that they hid things from each other, but for obvious reasons, Harry’s not going to go into detail about what happened or his crush on Niall. 

“‘Course you are, I just thought…” Harry felt shitty about making him upset over nothing. Yeah, Marcel was his twin, but Harry always thought it was beyond that. He was just such a smiley, optimistic person that seeing him anything other than happy was jarring.

“I’m sorry, Mars.” Pulling him into a side-hug, Harry turned a blind eye to Marcel sneaking more sprinkles.

“I understand,” he said nibbling at the chocolate, “You’re obviously stress baking for a reason.” Harry shoved him away with a scoff, and a kick for good measure as Marcel chortled at his own stupid joke. 

“Night, Harold.” Harry huffed, disgruntled at the nickname. He didn’t care if it had been years; Harry would never stop fighting it.

“Yeah, night.” After Marcel finally left, taking his giggles with him, Harry brought out the sprinkle mix he’d made earlier, Irish tricolour inspired. Now he had to wait a couple more minutes for the cupcakes to finish baking.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update! It's a lil short, so I'll try and work on it, but I'm so BUSY, and I've got so much to catch up on lmfao. I really appreciate everyone's patience with my works. You guys truly are the best.

**Author's Note:**

> Posted to Wattpad! Erm let's see, let's see...Oh, erm, I'm posting the anonymously here because, well, a Marcel fic (endgame narry though) in 2020. I'll claim the work if people like it. It's meant to be for fun, so please, don't be too harsh about errors or plotholes, that sort of thing. Of course, feedback is much appreciated, and if anybody has any ideas...I'm not opposed to fan service *wink*


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